ABBACare: Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s Healthcare Revolution for Coverage of Vulnerable Citizens in Kano
ABBACare: Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s Healthcare Revolution for Coverage of Vulnerable Citizens in Kano
By Abdullahi I. Ibrahim
The ABBACare Initiative, introduced by His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, is quietly revolutionizing access to healthcare delivery across Kano State. It has been designed to reach the most vulnerable citizens of the state and today stands as one of the most promising social health interventions in Northern Nigeria.
This program targets vulnerable groups, including 39,000 people living with sickle cell disorder, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and emergency patients. The aim is to ensure those who need the most care have access to it with no financial barriers.
ABBACare is a program in Kano State aimed at making healthcare more accessible for those in need. It is run by the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency with support from the State Ministry of Health. The program helps provide health insurance for vulnerable individuals and poorer families, ensuring they get the medical care they need without worrying about the costs. With backing from the government, ABBACare allows many people to receive quality healthcare consistently, helping to reduce preventable deaths and drive the state`s journey towards UHC.
Since its rollout, the initiative has enrolled 7,000 beneficiaries, who get access to diagnosis, medications, hospitalization, laboratory services, blood transfusions, and specialized care at accredited hospitals without paying a dime. This mainly includes people who, without the insurance coverage, could not afford to get routine treatment due to their many chronic diseases.
The program was launched at three major hospitals as pilot centers: Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital, and Khalifa Sheikh Isyaku Rabiu Paediatric Hospital. Encouraged by early success, the government has now expanded ABBACare to 10 additional general hospitals across the senatorial zones of the state: Rano, Wudil, Dawakin Kudu, Doguwa, Bichi, Bebeji, Danbatta, Gwarzo, Tudun Wada, and Dawakin Tofa.
The expansion ensures that vulnerable people, especially in the rural communities of all 44 local government areas, have the same access to care as those who reside in urban centers.
Aside from sickle cell and emergency care, ABBACare has also initiated welfare components for women and families. In September and October 2025, the state government, through the Ministry of Health, distributed 6,000 maternity kits for natural deliveries, 500 kits for cesarean sections, and first aid kits for accident and emergency units across state-owned hospitals.
Each maternity kit contains essential components of sterile gloves, antiseptics, baby clothes, sanitary pads, and emergency drugs, thus making the birth process less stressful for mothers and safer.
In addition, the Ministry of Health and KSCHMA have set up a tight monitoring framework with its series of hospital audits, digital beneficiary records, and community feedback systems to ensure transparency and accountability. These measures are ensuring that the right people — mothers, children, the elderly, and low-income families — receive the full benefits of the program.
The impact is already being felt: hospitals have reported increased attendance of patients with antenatal services and the treatment of sickle cell disease, reduced out-of-pocket medical expenses, and improved overall health outcomes in targeted vulnerable households.
The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is confident in ABBACare as a transformative healthcare reform program rather than a mere palliative measure. It is well on its way to becoming a model social health program throughout Nigeria, with ambitions of reaching over 100,000 beneficiaries by 2026.
In every way, ABBACare represents a lifeline, a reflection of Governor Yusuf’s belief that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. As the program continues to expand across all 44 local government areas, it stands as a shining example of people-centered leadership. Under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s stewardship, Kano State is not only developing; it is healing.
Abdullahi I. Ibrahim
SSA Digital Media
